Anderson Grabs Track Record for Speed on Day One at Northwest Nationals
SEATTLE, Wash., August 7, 2015 – The first day of qualifying at the 28th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways was a smooth and promising start for Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson. Powering the red Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro, Anderson made two very strong runs and reached out and grabbed the track record for speed along the way. With a couple of bonus qualifying points in his pocket as well, the Mooresville, N.C.-based driver is looking ahead to another bright day in the Pacific Northwest as qualifying continues on Saturday.
In the first session of qualifying, Anderson proved he had a worthy steed as he commanded his KB Racing-powered Chevy to a 6.538-second pass at 212.06 mph. The quick run down the quarter-mile dragstrip resulted in a bonus point for Anderson as he moved into the No. 3 position. Another bonus point was added to the pile for the Pro Stock points leader, and Anderson stayed No. 3 in the second session as his Rob Downing-tuned Summit Racing Camaro raced to a 6.507 at a brand new Pacific Raceways track record of 212.76 mph.
“It’s cool, it’s a feather in the hat – but you know, the track record is not everything,” said Anderson. “We come to every race to be the fastest car, and we come to win every race. If we don’t get those things done, then we didn’t finish the job. Our Summit Racing Camaros go fast and they can break records, and we love that. But we came to be No. 1 qualifiers and put one of them in the winner’s circle.”
The Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaros have been particularly fond of the racing surface and conditions at Pacific Raceways in Seattle. In fact, Anderson has two Seattle low qualifier awards and has won three times in five final rounds. Saturday could very well bring about more big numbers and a climb up to the top for Team Summit. Anderson has already proven that he has a capable car this season and earned the 76th low qualifier award of his career at the 2015 NHRA Summernationals in Englishtown. Eight times this year, Anderson has qualified third or better. With a solid start here in Seattle, he expects a strong finish.
“We made two good runs today, absolutely,” said Anderson. “The first run down the racetrack wasn’t quite what we needed it to be, but the racetrack got a lot better and we made a much better run. The bottom line is that our Summit Racing Chevy Camaro was the quickest car after the first part of the racetrack when you look at the numbers, it just wasn’t the best in the first part – so we know what we need to work on. We can get a handle on it, and I’m excited. I think I definitely have a shot at the pole, and if we can’t get it, I still know I have a great car. We just have to hit the bullseye. We’re very, very close to it, we just have to hit it.”